No Wife, No Life Chapter 201

Brock was seething, his voice laced with menace.

Harper stood up, cool as a cucumber. "Sure, I won't refuse. But let's save that for later. Once the R&D department hits a breakthrough, I'll be running FusionX."

She didn't bother hiding her ambition; she was gunning to take over FusionX completely.

Brock's face grew even more grim.

Caden asked, "Breakthroughs? Looks like Ms. Orsini's already counting your chickens."

Caden raised an eyebrow, a smug grin spreading across his face.

Harper was a force to be reckoned with. Her beauty, paired with her fierce ambition, was downright intimidating.

She shot Caden a glance, a faint smile playing on her lips. "From now on, expect some good news from R&D."

With that, Harper casually looked over at Neal.

Neal, standing rigidly, couldn't help but shiver a bit.

Harper then announced, "Meeting's over. We'll have a funding meeting tomorrow at 10:30 AM."

Harper had taken the reins, becoming the one calling the shots at FusionX.

Everyone seemed powerless against her, only able to follow her lead.

Neal's plan was still just an idea, far from fruition, while Harper had already kickstarted the funding process, scoring a major win.

The contrast was glaring.

Brock's face grew even darker, his breathing heavier.

Those in Brock's camp were nervous but forced to smile, all the while scheming how to make Harper step down as CEO.

Harper hadn't said much today, but every word she spoke stirred up certain people.

Brock stood up so abruptly he nearly knocked over his chair, the loud crash adding to his embarrassment.

Harper's capabilities were exceedingly formidable; within a few short years, not only would she firmly secure the position of Executive CEO, but the entire FusionX Company would become her domain.

Facing such a formidable opponent, Brock felt immense pressure.

Felix stood up, smiling as he patted Neal on the shoulder.

"You still got a lot to learn."

Neal's face fell. He knew exactly what that meant. Now, he was under the microscope. Brock would see him as a failure, while Harper and Felix would be wary of him, making his future at FusionX even tougher.

Meanwhile, Caden's assistant gathered the documents on the table, glancing at Caden with concern. He was worried for Caden.

There was no doubt Harper was no pushover; she was a fierce competitor. Wasn't Caden afraid of getting burned by trusting her so much?

How could someone as ambitious as Harper be content with always playing second fiddle?

The assistant looked at Caden again, noticing his gaze was fixed on Harper.

The assistant sighed inwardly.

This was between Harper and Caden; he couldn't interfere.

"Ms. Orsini, working late tonight?" Caden asked.

"Yeah, I need to finish the budget report for tomorrow's meeting," Harper replied, stopping beside him, her eyes sparkling. "Want to grab dinner with me? I can take my work home, and you can keep me company."

Caden nodded, "Sure, I'll wait for you."

Then, Caden and his assistant left.

Harper gathered her documents before leaving the conference room.

As she approached the elevator, the doors were about to close. Someone quickly pressed the open button.

The door slowly closed. Harper squinted, catching sight of Neal standing in the corner from the corner of her eye.

"Neal, this was a rare opportunity, and you handled it well."

Her tone was indifferent, but it felt like a slap in the face.

Handling well? Was she talking about the incident with Caden's assistant submitting the proposal?

Numerous individuals discerned Harper's insinuation, and a smattering of derisive glances were cast in Neal's direction, stinging him.

He raised his head, struggling to find his voice.

Harper added, "Facing so many board members, were you nervous? What did you gain from this meeting? We'll have a small internal meeting later, and you can share your insights."

This wasn't a small meeting; it was public humiliation! Neal's face flushed a deeper shade of crimson with mortification.

"Ms. Orsini, I really didn't know about this. Someone took my materials, and Mr. Elikin's assistant saw them. I'm innocent." He put on a genuinely innocent expression.

The woman who had bumped into Caden stammered, "Sorry, Ms. Orsini, I really didn't mean it. I just thought Neal's proposal was good and wanted to share it. I didn't expect to run into Mr. Elikin."

Harper gave her a cold look. "Whether it was intentional or planned, you know in your heart. Or should I thank you for giving Neal this opportunity?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the elevator doors opened, and Harper walked out without looking back, saying, "You all work overtime tonight to finish the budget report. You'll get five times the overtime pay."

The subordinates behind her cheered, their spirits lifted.

Harper paid no attention to them, striding out and heading straight to her office.

She buried herself in work until past eleven at night, finally completing the budget report.

Stretching, she left the office building.

It was already September, and the night air was chilly.

Harper wrapped her blazer tighter around herself and headed to the parking lot.

Suddenly, she heard a cat's meow and saw something dart past her.

Startled, she looked closely and saw a small cat.

The kitten was hiding in a corner, trembling.

At that moment, a tall figure approached and picked up the kitten.

The man turned to her, "Ms. Orsini."

The man had a handsome face, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at her.

Harper found him somewhat familiar but couldn't recall where she had met him.

That man introduced himself, "I'm Mason Cruz, hired along with Neal."

Harper remembered. Mason's resume had seemed unremarkable, but Caden had pointed out that Mason was the son of Kyle, the wealthiest man in the neighboring city.

Why would he come to FusionX Company?

"Your father is Kyle Cruz?" Harper asked directly.

Mason nodded without hesitation.

Harper looked at him with interest, "I don't quite understand. The Cruz Group has plenty of work. You could easily train there."

If it was just to gain experience, he didn't need to come to FusionX Company.Mason smiled sheepishly, rendered speechless, and entirely devoid of pretension.

Seeing he didn't want to elaborate, Harper didn't press further.

Harper asked, "Do you know how to take care of a cat?"

Mason shook his head.

The gray kitten in his arms looked at Harper with its brown eyes, making a pitiful, cute sound.

Harper said, "It seems this cat is meant to be with you."

"Ms. Orsini, I'll take good care of it."